A DISABLED 89-year-old woman has staged a sit-in protest at the headquarters of a council - in a desperate bid to pay for her care.

Sheltered housing resident Joan Hunter and her daughter Ellie Carrick said they felt taking the action at County Hall, Northallerton, was the only way they could get officials at North Yorkshire County Council to correctly invoice the Second World War nurse.

Mrs Hunter, who lives at The Orchards, a 37-home development in Brompton, near Northallerton, for more than a year, said she remained in a state of anxiety more than a year after first attempting the pay the authority for visits by care workers.

Mrs Carrick, of Thirsk, said the council, which is working to cut £167m from its budget, had failed to send invoices, overcharged and undercharged her mother, and had sent unnamed time sheets that could apply to anyone.

Since making a formal complaint against the council in January and officers attending a meeting to resolve the issue without the necessary information, she said she had heard nothing from the authority.

She said: "Mum comes from a generation where all she wants to do is pay for what she has had, and her care has been outstanding.

"I won't let this lie as it has left Mum in a state of anxiety and I can't believe this is only happening to her.

"This protest was also for every other old person who doesn't have anybody checking their bills.

"It is abuse of the old and it's the worst kind of abuse, it's mental."

When Mrs Hunter's case was raised by The Northern Echo in April, a council spokeswoman claimed it was in direct correspondence with the family to resolve these concerns.

Mrs Carrick said: "It should be so simple, but the council hasn't done a thing for 12 months, not even responding to any emails."

She said after staging their protest by the building's entrance hall, senior council officers arrived at the scene and pledged to investigate the matter.

Mrs Carrick added: "I'm not going to stick a flag out of the window and wave it yet as we have previously been told the matter is being looked into only to hear nothing."

A council spokesman said: "The council is continuing to liaise with Mrs Carrick to resolve the concerns she has about the documentation she receives in relation to her mother’s care and will be speaking with her further in the next few days."